Astrology | Week of March 31, 2011

ARIES March 21-April 19: This is an excellent time to study the book Assholeology: The Science Behind Getting Your Way — and Getting Away with it. In fact, the cosmos would not only look the other way if you acted on the principles described therein; the cosmos is actively encouraging you to be a successful jerk. APRIL FOOL! It’s true that you’re in a phase when it makes sense to be a little extra selfish and eager to bend the world to meet your needs. But according to my analysis, it’s crucial that you do this politely and graciously.

TAURUS April 20-May 20: It’s a great time to get breast implants, a penis enlargement, a nose enhancement (if our nose is too tiny), or surgery to elongate your tongue. Anything you could do to yourself in order to stick out further and make a bigger impression would be in harmonious alignment with the astrological omens. APRIL FOOL! Everything I just said was a dirty lie. Here are the facts: It’s high time to work creatively and appreciatively with what nature has given you, not try to force it to accommodate some soulless desire.

GEMINI May 21-June 20: Between now and April 16, you really should try to party every night. You should experiment with at least 100 different altered states of consciousness and talk to at least 500 fascinating people and explode with at least 800 fits of laughter and change your mind at least 1,000 times. You need massive stimulation, Gemini. You need recordbreaking levels of variety and mood swings. Be everywhere!

Do everything! APRIL FOOL! While it’s true that this might be one of those times that the visionary poet William Blake was referring to when he said, “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom,” please take care you don’t end up slobbering face-down in the gutter without any pants halfway along the road of excess. Remember the goal: to actually reach the palace of wisdom.

CANCER June 21-July 22: You have cosmic permission to brag like a coked-up pimp. You have poetic license to swagger and show off like a rock star who has sold his soul for $30 million. You have my blessing if you’d like to act as if everyone in the world should be more like you. APRIL FOOL! I was exaggerating a little. It’s true that you have every right to seize more authority and feel more confident and spread your influence farther and wider. But the best way to do that is to explore the mysteries of humble courage and ply the art of magical truth-telling and supercharge your willpower with a big dose of smart love.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22: What is your most far-fetched desire? I dare you to pursue it. What is the craving that would take you to the frontier of your understanding about yourself? I urge you to indulge it. Which of your primal wishes intimidates you as much as it enthralls you? I beg you to embrace it. APRIL FOOL! I don’t really think you should try to carry out your most extreme fantasies. Maybe in a few weeks, but not now. I do hope, however, that you spend some time this week getting to know them better.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22: If you develop symptoms like a dry mouth, twitching eyebrows, sweaty palms or goose bumps in places you don’t usually get them, you may be suffering from a malady called anatidaephobia, which is the fear that you are being watched by a duck. So please, Virgo, try to avoid places where ducks congregate. APRIL FOOL! I lied. The truth is, you will not contract an exotic affliction like anatidaephobia any time soon. You may, however, notice yourself experiencing waves of seemingly irrational elation; you may frequently feel like something oddly good is about to happen. Why? Because according to my analysis of the omens, you are more likely than usual to be watched by secret admirers, future helpers, interesting strangers and your guardian angel.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22: If you’re a straight man, this would be a good time to ask Halle Berry on a date. If you’re a straight woman, you’ll have a better-than-usual chance to get Jake Gyllenhaal to go out with you. If you’re a gay man, you might want to try your luck with Adam Lambert, and if you’re a lesbian, I encourage you to propose a rendezvous with Portia de Rossi. APRIL FOOL! I lied. It’s never a good time to try to hook up with unavailable dream girls or dream guys. I will say this, though: You now have extraordinary power to turn yourself into a better partner, ally and lover. And that suggests it’s well within your means to cultivate a more exciting kind of intimacy.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21: “Dear Rob: I just walked in on my boyfriend of over a year in bed with another woman. My mind is beyond blown; it’s a splay of sparks in a drenched sky, a fireworks display in a downpour. Any advice on moving forward? Shocked Scorpio.” Dear Shocked: I’ll tell you what I’d like to tell all Scorpios right now: Start plotting your wicked revenge. APRIL FOOL! The truth is, revenge would be a dumb waste of your precious time. Any surprises that come your way in the coming days are basically disguised gifts from life to get you back on course. Use their motivational energy wisely and gratefully.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21: It’s an ideal time for you to explore the intimate wonders of ecosexuality. Nature’s libidinous pleasures are calling to you. How about trying some erotic experiments with trees and waterfalls? Or skinny-dipping in wetlands and doing skyclad seduction dances for the clouds? Or making out with oyster mushrooms right where they grow up out of a fallen log? APRIL FOOL! It’s true that this is a good time to expand your sexual repertoire and seek out new sensations of intimate bliss, but it’s quite possible to accomplish that by confining your erotic communion to human beings.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19: The astrological omens are practically screaming for you to go out and buy a luxurious new home in your ideal neighborhood. Preferably it should have every feature you’ve ever dreamed about, whether that’s a cinema-scale theater room or a spa with a sauna and hot tub. If you have to go deep into debt to make this happen, that’s fine. APRIL FOOL! I lied, sort of. It is an excellent time for you to upgrade your domestic scene, either by making comfortable and attractive changes in the decor of your current home or by enhancing your relationships with your family and roommates. But there’s no need to make crazy expenditures that will cripple you financially. In fact, cheap is probably better. That’s what the astrological omens are really suggesting.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18: It’s absolutely critical for you to be consistent and uniform right now. You must be pure, homogeneous and regular. Don’t you dare dabble with anything that’s even vaguely miscellaneous. APRIL FOOL! Everything I just said was a lie. In astrological fact, the best way to thrive is by being a cross between a mishmash and a medley, by being part hodgepodge and part amalgamation. Your strongest impact will come from blending the most diverse influences. The best elixir will result from mixing several different potions.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20: I hope you take full advantage of this unusual moment in your astrological cycle, Pisces. According to my interpretation of the cosmic signs, it’s prime time to unleash an ocean of tears. And not just the kind of moisture that wells up out of sadness, either. I hope you will give even more time to crying because of unreasonable joy, sobbing due to cathartic epiphanies, weeping out of compassion for the suffering of others, and blubbering activated by visions of the interconnectedness of all life. Let it flow! APRIL FOOL! I slightly overstated the possibilities. Yes, it will be a wonderful time to feel profound states of emotion and surrender to the tears they induce. But you need to get a few things done, too, so don’t risk drowning.